Where There's a Willa
by Lady Emily
Summary: Woody's sister Willa comes to visit and really hits it off with Cody, much to the discomfort of both Woody and Bailey.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Just saw the teaser for My Sister's Keeper, loved it, thought about the million and one things I have to do before I can write fanfiction as a responsible college student, and started writing anyway! Screw chemistry and business stat; this is more fun!

Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me and I am making no profit from their use.

* * *

"Ugh." Cody Martin groaned, staggering into his cabin and depositing his armload of books on his bed. "Is it me, or is Tutweiller becoming more of a hardass?"

His roommate Woody turned around in his chair. "Hey Buddy…" Cody raised his eyebrows nervously. When Woody got that anxious, over-friendly expression, it usually meant he needed a favor. Usually a homework-related favor, but occasionally, something more ridiculous, reckless, or just plain stupid. "Hey… Woody… What's going on?" he asked tentatively, already certain that he didn't want to know.

"Not much…" Woody hedged. Cody waited for the shoe to drop. "But I just found out my sister is coming to visit the ship tomorrow." Woody said. "Is it cool if she stays in our cabin for a few days?"

"Sure." Cody shrugged. He'd never met his roommate's sister, but Woody talked about her occasionally. All he really knew was that she was close to their age. He could only imagine what she would be like; it was almost impossible to imagine a girl version of Woody. Well, it wasn't _impossible_, but it was certainly _unpleasant_. At any rate she couldn't be any worse than Woody, could she? "I guess that's fine."

"Great!" Woody smiled. Then the over-friendly expression crept back onto his face. "And… I kind of need a favor."

"Rats!" Cody's shoulders slumped. "I was hoping that _was_ the favor."

"Nope." Woody said cheerfully. "Here's the thing: I kind of have detention after school on Friday, _and_ on Saturday afternoon-"

"How did that happen?" Cody interrupted in disbelief. Woody wasn't a great student, but you had to do worse than forget a few assignments to get Saturday detention.

"Well, me and Zack-" Woody began.

"Ahhh. Say no more." Cody nodded his understanding.

"Yeah… it was just supposed to be a little prank, but… well let's just say it explains why Tut's in such a bad mood." Woody said repentantly.

Cody frowned. "So how come Zack doesn't have detention?"

"Zack can run faster." Woody reminded him.

"Of course. Sorry. You were saying?"

"Yeah, so I have detention Friday and Saturday," Woody continued where he'd left off, "And I was wondering if you could show my sister around the ship, sort of take her under your wing. You know, since I won't be able to, and she'll know you, since she's staying here and all...?" Woody looked up at him hopefully. "Plus you have no social life so it's not like you have any weekend plans."

Internally, Cody groaned. Sadly, Woody was correct that he had nothing better to do this weekend… But playing tour guide for a female Woody all weekend didn't sound particularly appealing. "Gee, Woody, I don't know…"

"Come on, buddy, it's just a couple of days." Woody pleaded.

"Yeah, but-"

"I didn't want to bring this up, but you owe me a solid." Woody said, folding his arms in front of him.

"What?" Cody retorted, "How do I 'owe you a solid'?"

"I…" Woody frowned, mentally searching for a reason that Cody owed him. "I saved Buck the rat when he was stuck on top of the Sky Deck sign."

"No you didn't." Cody deadpanned. "That was Ratman."

"But I…" Woody began. "I… Oh, I can't believe you're forcing me to reveal my secret identity. Cody…" he lowered his head dramatically. "I _am_ Ratman."

Cody rolled his eyes. "No! Really?"

"Yes." Woody insisted seriously. "I saved your rat, and I am calling in my favor."

Cody sighed. "Okay, fine, fine. I'll hang out with your sister when she gets here."

Woody grinned. "Thanks, man. Hey, I think you'll really like her. She's a lot like me."

Cody grimaced. "Yeah…" he muttered to himself. "That's what I was afraid of."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Most of the dialogue from this first scene was taken from the sneak peek of the actual episode. Enjoy chapter 2!

* * *

Thursday afternoon, Cody sat by himself in the Aqua Lounge, tapping his knuckles together anxiously. Woody was supposed to be bringing his sister any minute now, and Cody couldn't be dreading the meeting any more. How did he get himself stuck in situations like this?

Bailey and Maya entered the Aqua Lounge, each carrying a calculator and a physics textbook. The two girls had become fast friends upon Bailey's return from Kettlecorn, and they often did homework together in the lounge. "Hey Cody." Maya greeted cheerfully. "What's up?"

"Hey guys. Not much." Cody answered. "Just waiting for Woody and Willa to get here."

Maya grinned. "Woody's sister is seriously named Willa?" She shook her head sympathetically. "Tough break, girl."

Bailey, perhaps sensing Cody's obvious distaste for his task, smirked. "Have fun with Willa!" she told him cheerfully as she and Maya headed for their usual table in the corner.

Cody scowled after her, resuming his nervous tapping. Of course, that was when Zack breezed in. "Hey bro! Brought you a little something for your tour of duty with Woody's sister." He sat down next to Cody and produced a pair of paper bags from behind his back. "One bag is to put over Willa's head so she won't scare the children. The other bag is to put over your head just in case_ her _bag falls off." he explained smugly.

Shooting him a look of mixed reprehension and defeat, Cody tossed the bags onto the table and stood up. "I can't believe I let myself get roped into this."

They heard Woody's voice outside the door. "Come on, Willa. Don't be shy!"

"I can only imagine what kind of hideous troll is about to walk through that door." Zack said gleefully. "Oh! I'm gonna take a picture of it and put it on the Internet." He opened his camera phone and poised himself to take a picture.

Woody entered the lounge, followed by a beautiful girl in a yellow sundress. She smiled at them with even white teeth. "Hi, I'm Willa."

Cody's jaw nearly hit the ground.

Zack's eyes widened as he snapped the phone shut, striding forward to shake Willa's hand. "Hi, I'm Zack." he said quickly. "You are gorgeous." he exclaimed, and she giggled.

"And _you_ are in a relationship." Cody reminded him loudly, maneuvering himself in front of his brother and taking her hand himself. "Whereas I, Cody, am free as air." He gave Woody's sister his most charming smile. "Speaking of which, wanna go grab some?"

"Sure!"

She smiled and agreed, and Cody led her out by the hand, turning back briefly to shoot Zack a look of superiority. "You can just recycle those bags."

"Have fun!" Woody called after them. He turned to Zack. "I think they're gonna have fun."

Zack slapped him in the bicep.

"Ow!" Woody yelped. "What was that for?"

"Having a pretty sister!" Zack returned. He smacked Woody again.

"Ow! What was _that_ for?"

"Not telling me about her!" Zack reached over and smacked Woody a third time.

"Owww!" Woody moaned. "What was _that_ for?"

"Nothing." Zack shrugged. "I just like hitting you."

"Hurtful..." Woody groaned. His eyes widened in surprise as he spotted Maya and Bailey coming towards them. Maya had murder in her eyes. "Heh... Zack? You might be in trouble."

Zack sucked in a breath when he saw the look on his girlfriend's face. "Uh oh." He pasted on a bright fake smile. "Hey Maya!"

"Don't you 'hey Maya' me, Zack Martin." Maya said hotly, coming up nose-to-nose with him, Bailey flanking her with an equally hard look on her face. "I can't believe the nerve of you!"

"What... what do you mean?" Zack asked nervously.

"What do you mean, what do I mean?" Maya repeated, her voice rising to an unnaturally high pitch. "I mean _you_, putting the moves on that girl! As if it's not bad enough that you're hitting on other girls, you don't even have the decency to do it while I'm not in the room?"

Zack winced. "Um, I wasn't...I-" he stuttered, trying to untangle her wordy, double-negative-filled sentence and placate her at the same time. "I mean, I- I didn't even know you were here."

"Ooh." Woody cringed. "Even _I_ know that was the wrong thing to say."

"Oh! You didn't know I was here!" Maya repeated, her voice laden with cool fury. "Well in that case-" She stomped on his foot, causing him to double over in pain. "Screw you!" Without another word, she turned and stalked out.

"Maya!" Zack called, taking a few steps after her. "Don't..."

Bailey stopped him with a firm grip on his arm. "You know, I think you've done enough." she said in a no-nonsense tone.

Zack's shoulders slumped. "Shoot. I didn't mean it... Ow!" he cried out when Woody punched him on the shoulder. "Woody! What was that for?"

"For putting the moves on my sister!" Woody retorted.

Zack glared at him, rubbing his arm. "Yeah, that's fair." he acknowledged with a grumble.

Bailey frowned at Woody. "That... that girl was your sister?" she asked slowly.

"Yeah." Woody said. "Willa."

"But... she's really pretty..." Bailey said, looking vaguely upset.

"Is she?" Woody asked, genuinely clueless. "I really hadn't noticed."

"Hmph!" Bailey grunted, balling up her fists, turning on her heel, and following Maya out.

Woody looked after her, stunned and confused. "What is _wrong _with everyone today?"

Zack could only shake his head wordlessly.

* * *

"Thanks for offering to take me around, Cody." Willa said politely. She hadn't unlinked her fingers from his, which Cody took to be a very good sign. "I can't believe Woody got himself stuck in detention right on the days I was supposed to be here."

"Yeah." Cody sympathized. "What horrible luck."

"Not _so _horrible." she said with a sly grin. "I mean, now I get _you_."

"Yeah..." Cody said, swallowing weakly. He honestly hadn't expected Woody's sister to be so sweet. Knowing her brother, _normal_ was the last thing he'd expected Willa to be.

Actually, _gorgeous_ was the last thing he expected. And lord, was she pretty.

"I really do appreciate it." she continued gratefully.

"It's my pleasure." Cody said smoothly. They reached the end of the corridor and he held open the door for her, leading her into the sunshine. "Welcome to the Sky Deck."

"Oh!" Willa looked around. "It's beautiful. You and your friends hang out up here a lot, right? Woody's told me all about it."

"Yeah, we're up here all the time." Cody said. "Of course, a lot of the time we're working."

"Right. You work at the towel stand. And your brother works at the juice bar. Or did I get that backwards?" Willa said. Then she blushed. "Sorry, you must think I'm totally creepy. It's just that when Woody comes home, he always talks about you all."

"I don't think you're creepy." Cody reassured her. "And you didn't get it backwards." He smiled nervously. "Did Woody tell you anything else about me?"

"Yeah." Willa answered. "He said you were a total clean freak." She grinned at him. "But you don't seem so bad to me... And let's face it, my brother could use a little clean in his life."

"You said it." They both laughed, falling into companionable silence. Their linked hands swung together as they ambled along the railing, taking in the picturesque ocean view. "Don't take this the wrong way..." Cody said finally. "But are you sure you're related to Woody?"

Willa giggled. "I know, we don't look much alike, right? Everyone says I look like Dad, and Woody takes after our mom."

"Ah. I see." Cody said. "Poor Woody."

"No..." Willa shook her head sadly. "Poor Mom!"

* * *

A/N: Make my day and review?


	3. Chapter 3

It was a very awkward breakfast.

The gang usually got together before school on Fridays to eat breakfast together and today was no exception... but today, Maya wasn't speaking to Zack.

Zack, London, and Cody sat on one side of the table, Bailey and Maya on the other. "Hey, Maya, I finished the diagram for our English presentation last night." Zack began conversationally.

His girlfriend didn't even look at him. "Bailey?" she asked, "Would you pass the salt?"

"Sure." Bailey said. She didn't have the salt; it was next to Zack. "Zack, the salt, please?"

Zack sighed as he passed her the salt, getting the message very clearly that Maya was giving him the silent treatment. "Maya, can we please talk?"

Maya shook the shaker violently, dispensing a punishing amount of salt onto her eggs before passing it back. "Thank you, Bailey. So, London, how's life?"

"Oh, fine." London said airily, checking her lip gloss in her compact. "You know how it is when you're me." She seemed completely oblivious, as usual, to any tension going on at the table.

"Sure do." Maya said, concentrating on stirring her chocolate milk with her straw.

Zack looked frustrated and defeated, and Cody saw in his eyes the moment he decided to fix the problem by throwing his brother under the bus. "So Codes, how are things with Woody's sister?"

Bailey choked on her orange juice. Maya patted her on the back.

"Actually, Willa's great." Cody said, not bothered in the least. "She's really cool. Last night we had a great conversation about science fiction. She likes H.P. Lovecraft, although I'm more of an Asimov guy myself."

"Ah. So things are going well between you and Willa." Zack said slowly, attempting to meet Maya's gaze... hoping to convey that Woody's sister was no threat to her relationship with Zack.

She continued to ignore him.

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, we were laying in bed, just talking, for like, an hour after we turned off the lights. It was fun." Cody answered.

"In _bed_?" Bailey repeated, surprise rendering her unable to keep from speaking up. "She's sleeping in your room?"

"Well... yeah." Cody said awkwardly. "I mean... she's staying with Woody. She took his bed, and he took the floor."

"Oh." Bailey said, buttering her bagel with extreme care. "I mean... oh."

"Hi everyone!" Woody and Willa appeared at the table with their breakfast trays, Woody sitting next to Maya, Willa next to Cody. Woody made the introductions. "Willa, this is London, Bailey, and Maya, and you already know Zack and Cody. Girls, my sister Willa."

"Hi." London said vaguely, sparing Willa only a brief glance before turning her attention back to her makeup.

"Hi, Willa." Bailey said, at least attempting a smile at the new arrival.

"It's nice to meet you." Maya said cordially. "If you'll excuse me, I've got some last-minute studying to do before class." She stood, gathering her tray. As soon as she was gone, Zack stood up and followed her.

Cody smiled at Willa, gesturing around the room. "So, this is the cafeteria." he said teasingly, playing the tour guide as he had yesterday.

"Ah." Willa looked around obediently. "Very impressive."

"Hey!" Woody protested. "You only have to show her around when I'm not here." he said to Cody before turning to Willa. "So... this is the cafeteria." he told her.

Willa and Cody exchanged amused glances. "It's lovely." she assured her brother.

Cody leaned in. "Wait'll you see where we're going for dinner tonight." he told her.

"Somewhere special?" she asked, raising a coy eyebrow.

"You'll see." he nodded.

"So, Willa." Bailey spoke up. Her tone was friendly, but she looked like she had a bad taste in her mouth. "What are your plans for the day, while the rest of us are in school?"

"Oh, I figured I'd spend some time at the pool." Willa said. "The one with the waterslide we went down yesterday, Cody. On the, umm..."

"Lido Deck." Cody and Bailey finished together, their eyes locking. Bailey glared at him.

"Ahem." Cody cleared his throat. "Good. Well, I guess I'll meet you there after I get out of class."

"Thanks."

Zack returned to the table, a dejected look on his face. "She went into the girls' bathroom."

"No duh." Woody said. "You really thought it was going to be that easy?"

There was an awkward silence. "You know, I could use a bagel." Willa said finally, looking at the one on Bailey's tray. "Could someone point me-?"

Cody jumped out of his seat. "I'll show you where they are. Come on." He took her by the elbow and they headed back into the serving area.

Woody folded his arms and glowered after them. "Cody's being a better brother to Willa than I am." he grumbled.

"Uh, news flash." London said, looking at him for the first time that morning. "Cody's not being a _brother_ to her."

Bailey bit her lip and studied the table.

"Well, not _technically_." Woody said. "But they're getting along really well. Almost like they were..." he trailed off. After a long moment, he looked at Zack, alarmed. "Oh. My. Gosh. _Is Cody dating my sister?_"

"Relax, Woodchuck. They've only known each other for one day. They're not dating." Zack said, looking slightly nervous about Bailey's reaction to the topic. He paused. "Although they kind of seem like they're heading in that direction..."

Woody looked as though he didn't know what to think. "Huh."

* * *

The door to Maya's cabin opened just as Zack was about to knock, and Bailey stepped out, a pile of DVDs in one hand, an empty carton of Ben & Jerry's tucked under her elbow. Her face darkened when she saw Zack. "You." she hissed, grabbing his arm with her free hand and towing him away from Maya's door. "Don't you dare go in there. I just got her to sleep."

"What?" Zack noticed that Bailey's face was slightly red and puffy. "Are you okay, Bailey?"

"Fine." she said, dabbing her tear-clumped eyelashes with her sleeve. "We just had a movie marathon of _A Walk to Remember_, _The Way We Were_, and _Love Story._"

"What?" Zack said again. That sounded horrible. "_Why?_"

She glared at him. "When you get dumped, sometimes it helps to have something _fictional _to cry about."

"_What?_" Zack said, stopping in his tracks. Maya was crying over him? Guilt and pain suddenly crushed his lungs. _And they were __**over?**_

"Are you hard of hearing?" Bailey asked, reaching a trash can and throwing away the empty ice cream carton.

"I didn't dump Maya." Zack protested. "My judgment slipped for one tiny second. I've been trying to apologize to her, but she won't let me."

Bailey sighed. "Zack, she trusted you when you said you were done chasing skirts. How is she supposed to feel when she finally gives you a chance and then you're drooling all over Willa right in front of her?"

"I don't know!" Zack said, frustrated. "It was reflex, it was habit! I'm not seriously interested in her." He scrubbed a hand across his face. "The only girl I really want is Maya. I can't believe I screwed this up."

They arrived at Bailey's cabin and she opened it, tossing the DVDs on her bed. "Okay, okay. I'll talk to her." Bailey said finally. "I know you didn't mean anything by it, that hitting on girls is just your-" she rolled her eyes, "-nature. Maya just hasn't known you as long as the rest of us. Give it a little time and I'm sure she'll find it in her heart to forgive you."

"Really?" Zack asked hopefully. She gave him a humorless affirmative smile. "When are you going to talk to her?"

"Later." Bailey said firmly. "I'm kind of busy right now." She stepped back into the hall, closing and locking her cabin door, and headed for the deck with the boys' rooms.

Sensing that she was on a mission that it would be unwise to interrupt, Zack didn't follow her. "Bailey... thank you."

She shook her head. "Don't thank me yet."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks a million to woundedhearts, Wyntirsno, CraziiCookii, and draco122 for their reviews last chapter! For the rest of you... where are you? Am I updating too fast?

Here's where things start to get dicey... enjoy!  


* * *

Upon leaving Zack, Bailey headed straight for Woody and Cody's cabin and knocked on the door.

Woody opened it. "Hey Bailey. Cody's not here, he's out with Willa."

"Yeah." Bailey said. "I didn't come to see him, I came to talk to you... Can I come in?"

"Sure." Woody held the door open for her, looking slightly perplexed. "What's going on?"

"How was detention?" Bailey asked lightly.

"Oh, you know, boring." Woody shrugged. "Saturday detention is the worst. Actually I just feel bad about not getting to spend more time with Willa."

Bailey almost sat down on Cody's bed, then thought better of it and leaned against his desk instead. "She seems to like hanging out with Cody just fine."

"Yeah, that's good." Woody nodded. "At least she's having fun."

"Yeah..." Bailey said slowly. "So... you don't think it would be a little weird? Cody dating your sister?"

"Why would it be weird?" Woody asked.

"I don't know." Bailey said, studying her nails self-consciously. "She's your _sister_."

"Actually, I think it's kind of cool." he shrugged. "I mean, I like Cody and I love my sister, so... oh man, if they got married? Cody could come to Thanksgiving, and Christmas- that would be awesome, and-"

"Whoa!" Bailey interrupted. "What do you mean, _married?_"

Woody looked at her strangely. "Uh, you know, married. Husband and wife? Kiss the bride? That sort of thing?"

"I... I know, but... I don't think he likes her _that_ much, do you?" Bailey asked uncertainly.

Woody looked offended. "Why _wouldn't _he?" He frowned at her for a moment before a look of understanding spread over his face. "Oh, I see... you're jealous of Willa."

"What?" Bailey spat. "Don't be ridiculous. That is so not true."

"I knew you weren't over Cody!" Woody said, ignoring her denial. "No wonder you're not cool with them dating."

"I- I... I'm cool." Bailey said, not altogether convincingly. "I just can't believe that _you _are. I mean, your roommate and your sister? What if they break up? Whose side are you gonna be on?"

Woody waved off the question. "I'm sure they wouldn't make me take sides..."

"Or worse!" Bailey exclaimed. "What if they _don't _break up?"

Woody began to look concerned. "Wait... how is that worse?"

"Well..." Bailey said slowly. "What if their relationship gets... serious?"

Woody blinked at her. "I don't follow."

Bailey shifted positions uncomfortably. "I mean... Well, I mean, if it were _my _sister, it would really bug me, knowing that Cody was having a... physical relationship with her."

"Whoa, hold up. _Physical?_" Woody repeated uneasily.

"Sure." There was a troubled look on Bailey's face. "I mean, it starts out with innocent hand-holding, and then, a casual arm-around-the-waist. But eventually, he's going to kiss her, right? And then that kiss turns into kiss_ing_, which turns into _kissing_..." She was really on a roll now, not talking to him so much as to herself. "Before you know it, he's coming back to the room with a _hickey_ on his neck that _your sister_ gave him, and then one day you're under the bed looking for your other shoe and you find a _bra_, and you just _know_-"

"Yahh!" Woody yelped, cutting her off. "Stop! That's my sister you're talking about!"

Bailey blinked, realizing she'd gotten carried away. "Sorry, Woody... I didn't mean..."

Woody folded his arms. "I am _so over_ this Willa-Cody thing."

"I don't blame you." Bailey said. "It's terrible."

"Well... she's leaving in two days." Woody said optimistically. "I'm sure it won't... get that far."

"Yeah... I'm sure you're right." Bailey told him with a half-smile.

The door opened and Cody and Willa entered, talking and laughing.

His arm was wrapped around her waist.

Woody shot an alarmed look at Bailey, then said, rather loudly, "Hey Cody, I was thinking you could stay in Zack's room tonight. You know, since he has an extra bed."

"Uh, hello to you too, Woody." Cody said, shooting him an odd look. His gaze slid to Bailey, and he regarded her suspiciously, but she only shrugged innocently.

"Maybe _you _should stay in Zack's room, big brother, since you're the one who's on the floor." Willa proposed, hiding a mischievous smile. She and Cody exchanged an amused glance.

"Yeah, that makes sense." Woody nodded, then frowned, scandalized, as he realized she'd tricked him. "Wait! No."

"Maybe Willa should stay with Zack." Bailey suggested with a grin. "The other bed in his room is really comfy. I used to be his roommate." she explained. She was talking to the other girl, but she kept her eyes on Cody.

He recognized the teasing gleam in her eye and scoffed. "Yeah, for one day." he returned, and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"D'oh, forget it." Woody said, crossing his arms. "Bailey, can I talk to you outside?"

"Sure Woody." Bailey shrugged at Cody again and followed Woody to the door.

"You sure you want to leave us alone, Woody?" Willa teased.

"Behave." he told her gruffly, taking Bailey's arm and shutting the door behind them.

Cody and Willa looked at each other and laughed. "Are we gonna do what he says?" she asked, taking a step closer to him.

"_I _usually don't." Cody said with a warm smile. Their eyes met and he leaned in, cupping her face gently in one hand.

"Me neither." Willa answered, turning her face up and letting her lips meet his.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Aw, you guys didn't forget about me!

I started to get attached to Willa myself while I was writing this, so I'm kind of looking forward to watching this episode too, although I'm sure it will be way different from this story... Let's be honest, if I were writing a real episode of Suite Life, Cody would date Willa and it would all go fine until she started to do things that reminded him of Woody, at which point he would freak out, and Zack would make fun of him. But, that's the difference between sitcom writing and my writing haha.

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed; you're the best! In exchange, you get a new chapter lol! Hopefully this one will help you see things from Bailey's point of view a little bit better... Enjoy!

* * *

The kiss was brief, but sweet.

Cody was smiling as they pulled apart. "I guess that shows him..."

"We're so bad." Willa teased back. "I wonder what got into my brother, anyway."

Cody rolled his eyes. "I could take a guess." he said, thinking of Bailey. Had she somehow convinced Woody that he couldn't trust Willa with Cody? And why would she do something like that... unless she still had feelings for him? The thought made his heart pound a little faster in his chest.

"Are you thinking about Bailey?" Willa asked gently.

Cody started guiltily. How had she known? "What? No, why would you say that?"

Willa sat down on the edge of Woody's bed. "Remember when you asked me if Woody told me anything about you, and I said that all he told me was that you were a neat freak?" she asked.

Cody nodded, not seeing where she was going with this.

"Well, he also told me that you still had feelings for Bailey." Willa said.

"What?" Cody said incredulously. "No I don't! Bailey and I are done."

"But you still love her." Willa finished. "Right?"

"No!" Cody denied. "Willa, I don't want you to think that... What just happened between you and I was... I mean-"

"Cody..." she cut him off. "It's okay, I'm not offended." She grabbed him by the hand and pulled him down to sit beside her on the bed. "I think you're a really sweet guy, and I'm having a great time with you, but-"

Cody looked hurt. "You won't date me because of Bailey? Willa, I've moved on, I really have."

"It's not just that." Willa explained. "I mean... did you see how much it was bothering Woody? I mean, you're his roommate, and one of his best friends. I don't want to come between you two."

"I... guess you're right." Cody sighed. "I wasn't really thinking about how this would make Woody feel. I guess I don't blame him for being uncomfortable with it. And I don't want to wreck our friendship either. Or his relationship with you."

"I'm glad you understand." Willa said kindly. She leaned over to give him a friendly peck on the cheek, but somehow their mouths met again, shared attraction turning the casual kiss into something decidedly less platonic. When they separated again, her lips were slightly swollen, her eyes dark with desire. "...Oops." she said sheepishly.

"Oops." Cody agreed hoarsely. Reluctantly, he said, "It... probably wouldn't have worked out anyway, I mean, with me on the ship-"

"And me back in Cleveland." Willa finished, nodding. "The long distance thing... It totally wouldn't have worked."

They both leaned in again despite themselves, but this time, Cody forced himself to pull back, standing and seating himself on his own bed. "I'm gonna sit over here."

She nodded again. "Good idea."

* * *

Woody towed Bailey all the way up to the Sky Deck before turning to speak to her. "You have to help me fix this."

"Fix what?" Bailey asked.

"This thing with Willa and Cody." Woody complained. "You're the one who made me think about it, you're the one who has to help me break them up!"

"Break them up?" Bailey bit her lip. "That's not very nice..."

"Since when do you care about being nice to Cody?" Woody exploded. "Let's face it, you hate this as much as I do."

Bailey scoffed, taking a few steps toward the railing. "I do _not_. Cody can date anyone he wants."

"Uh huh. I know." Woody followed her. "I _know_. You're _'broken up.'_ You _'don't love'_ Cody. The fact that he's falling for my sister _'doesn't bother-'_" He kept punctuating his statements with obnoxious air quotes.

Bailey slapped his hands out of her face. "That is _'so true.'_" she mimicked, making her own air quotes.

Woody's eyes widened triumphantly. "See? That means it _is_ true!"

She glared at him. "You are being _'ridiculous!'_"

"That means I'm not!"

"Woody! You're driving me _'insane.'_" she tried again, testily.

"Okay, you're missing the point of the air quotes." Woody said.

"Urrrgh!" Bailey growled, trying to step past him and leave.

Woody grabbed her arm and wheeled her around. "Relax, Bailey, it's not like he's over _you_."

Despite herself, he'd caught her attention. She faced him again, slowly pushing her hair behind her ear. "Did... he _say_ that?"

"No..." Woody admitted, and Bailey rolled her eyes and turned away once more. "Not when he was awake, anyway."

"He talks in his sleep?" Bailey asked, curiosity causing her to pause once more. "...About _me_?"

"Oh, all the time." Woody assured her. "_Bailey, don't go... I miss you... I love you..._" He shrugged. "That sort of thing."

"...Oh." Bailey didn't know what to say. "Well... dreams don't really count, they're just random impulses generated by the brain stem during REM sleep that are integrated into a made-up framework of experiential data in the memory." She mustered a grin. "I mean, hel-_lo_, misfiring neurons, am I right?"

"I don't. Know." Woody said blankly. He folded his arms. "Cody would know."

"So? The fact that we share an interest in neurobiology doesn't mean we're still in love with each other!" Bailey scoffed.

"No, the fact that you're still in love with each other means that you're still in love with each other."

"Great argument. Did you learn that in tautology class?" Bailey mocked. The blank look didn't leave his face, so she sighed, explaining, "It's a logical fallacy, you can't just say something is because it _is_-"

"Okay, okay, so you're over him." Woody said, holding his forehead. "You don't have to confuse me to death!"

Bailey rolled her eyes. "Thank you... So... you're really going to try to break them up?"

Woody shrugged. "I thought we could try making Cody jealous again..."

"Since that worked so well the first time." Bailey interrupted snidely.

"I guess... I mean, if you _were_ jealous seeing him with someone else, then seeing _you_ with someone else might have upset _him_... But, of course, if you two aren't interested in each other anymore..."

"It would never have worked." Bailey finished.

"Exactly." Woody said. "Oh well. Just a thought."

Bailey patted him on the shoulder. "Oh, Woody... you and your '_thoughts.'_" she said, walking back towards the cabins.

"There you go!" Woody said encouragingly. "_That's_ how you use air quotes!"

* * *

Bailey stalked down the hallway, entering her cabin completely preoccupied in her thoughts. "I am _not_ in love with Cody." she said out loud.

"I didn't say you were..."

Bailey spun around to see Maya sitting on her bed, looking perplexed. "Oh, hi."

"...But now I'm thinking you are." Maya finished dryly.

"Don't start with me." Bailey said in a no-nonsense tone, holding up one finger. She sat down next to her friend on the bed. "Did you decide what to do about Zack yet?"

"I dunno." Maya said, looking down at her sneakers. "Why? Did he say something to you?"

"Yeah." Bailey told her. "He's afraid you're breaking up with him and he's pathetically unhappy about it."

"He is?" Maya looked surprised. "I... I mean, I'm ticked, but I don't want to _break up. _Why would he-?"

Bailey stifled a smile. "I may have implied something I shouldn't have..."

Maya smiled archly. "Good, let him sweat for another few hours."

"But you're gonna forgive him, right?" Bailey asked. "Honestly, Maya, I think he really is sorry."

"I know..." Maya said. "And I suppose I can't really expect a flirt like him to change his spots. And I don't want him to... Much." The girls laughed. "I'll forgive him." Maya said. "When I'm good and ready."

"If it helps," Bailey said, "I think he really is trying. He's just not used to being in a relationship. He said that hitting on Willa was just an old habit."

Maya shook her head. "You know what that boy could really use?" She raised her eyebrows devilishly. "A taste of his own medicine."

Bailey matched her expression. "...And is that something he's likely to get?" she asked slowly.

Maya shrugged. "Who can say?"

Bailey grinned. "Well, he does have it coming... But, Maya?" She was suddenly serious. "Don't break his heart, okay?"

"Break his..." Maya was confused by the abrupt change in the conversation's direction. "What are you talking about, Bailey?"

"Just that..." The other girl paused. "He- he may be a pain in the neck, but he's really a nice guy, and he's crazy about you, and if you let him go you're eventually going to regret it."

Maya pursed her lips sympathetically. After a moment she leaned forward, placing her hands on Bailey's shoulders. "Are we still talking about Zack?" she asked wisely. "Or are we talking about Cody?"

Bailey looked up at her, startled. "Zack." she said automatically. Then she dropped her gaze. "Cody. I don't know... Both, I guess."

"Bailey... If you regret breaking up with him, why don't you just tell him how you feel?" Maya suggested softly, but frankly. "Everyone knows he's still hung up on you. Even if he isn't, what could it hurt?" Bailey shook her head, and when she blinked, two tears fell down her cheeks. Immediately, Maya pulled her into a hug. "Aw, honey..."

"I can't. I didn't even know what I felt for him until it was too late." Bailey murmured into her shoulder, her frame shaking slightly with sobs. "He- He's with Willa now, and if I tried to ruin that for him he'd hate me. It wouldn't be fair." Maya rubbed her back as she continued to cry. "Woody was right about everything! I said I wasn't jealous, I said it didn't bother me, but it does! It hurts..."

"Oh, Bailey..." Maya said softly, wishing there was some way to ease her friend's pain. "You have to at least talk to him about it. You owe it to yourself. You owe it to him."

"No." Bailey whispered. "What I owe to him is the chance to let him be happy and move on with his life. Dragging up the past would be selfish of me. He told me he still loved me in Belgium, and instead of saying it back I let my stubbornness and my pride get in the way and I rejected him. I already put him through hell, and I won't do it again."

"You were confused about your feelings. You made a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes." Maya soothed. "You know how you feel now, doesn't that count for anything?"

"I guess..." Bailey said brokenly, wiping her tear-stained cheeks with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. "...But it was easier when I didn't know."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks for all your great responses to the last chapter, you guys! This one's a short one... but... well, you'll see.

Oh, and psav2005, total agree about Bailey and Maya needing to interact on the show. At all. It would be easier to make the case that Bailey is perfect for Cody if she just got along famously with Zack's girlfriend! Unfortunately they seem to be on different planes of existence.

Enjoy!

* * *

"I kind of feel bad that Willa's leaving today." Maya said, bringing two smoothies over to the table and setting one in front of Bailey. She took off her waitress apron and sat down, ready to enjoy her break. "I should have been nicer to her, but I've been too busy being mad at Zack."

"Yeah..." Bailey said vaguely. "I guess we could have included her more."

At that point, Woody and Willa appeared on the Sky Deck. "Hey guys." Woody said. Willa gave the girls a friendly wave.

"Hey Woody. Hey Willa." Maya said amiably. "When do you have to leave?"

"Oh, one of my other brothers is coming to pick me up and drive me back." Willa explained. "We're already docked, so I guess he'll be here any time now." She smiled sweetly at Bailey and Maya. "It was really nice meeting you two."

Both girls stood up to bid her goodbye. "It was nice to meet you too, Willa." Bailey returned.

"Yeah, we're sorry we didn't get to spend more time with you." Maya told her. "You'll have to come back and visit again sometime."

"I'd like that." Willa nodded. She gave Woody's arm a squeeze and stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. "I'm always happy to hang with my second-favorite brother."

"Second favorite?" Woody repeated. "Hurtful! Who's first?"

She simply grinned at him. "Anyway, thanks for having me." Two new arrivals on the other side of the deck caught her eye. "Oh, there's Cody and Zack. I should go say bye to them too."

Woody called after her as she skipped off. "It's _Wally_, isn't it?" She just shrugged and gave him a tight-lipped smile.

Maya watched as Zack affected a disinterested demeanor and politely said goodbye to Woody's sister, then crossed the deck to her side. "Hi Maya." he said softly.

"Hey." she answered, just as quietly.

"Listen, I know you're mad at me." Zack said. "I'm sorry. You've gotta believe that I didn't mean anything by it."

"Oh, I believe it." Maya said lightly.

Zack frowned, confused by her behavior.

Bailey and Woody awkwardly turned away from the private conversation, instead watching Cody and Willa.

Willa pulled Cody into a hug. "Thanks for everything, Cody. I had a lot of fun."

They pulled apart, but Cody retained her hands in his own. "I did too. I'm glad you came." He grinned at her. "And you are _so_ welcome."

Willa giggled, suddenly spotting Woody and Bailey watching them out of the corner of her eye. "Well, anyways... goodbye." she said again, and with that, she took his face in her hands and gave him a last kiss on the mouth.

On the other side of the deck, Woody's mouth dropped open. Casting a quick glance at Bailey, he saw a stricken, _heartbroken_ look settle over her features and frowned. "...Bailey?" he asked.

Swallowing hard, Bailey tore her gaze away from Cody and Willa. "Yes?"

She was completely unprepared for what Woody did next- sweep her into his arms and kiss her deeply.

* * *

Cody couldn't believe what he was seeing: one minute, everything was normal, and the next, he was watching his roommate and his ex-girlfriend locked in a passionate embrace.

Bailey. Woody. Kissing.

And he wasn't the only one who'd noticed reality's abrupt detour into the Twilight Zone. Zack was standing three feet from the kissing couple, staring at them with a mixture of horror and fascination on his face. Beside him, Maya was gripping Zack's wrist, looking nearly catatonic with shock.

Woody released Bailey and she stumbled back a step, catching herself with one palm on the table, looking absolutely shell-shocked.

A sick feeling built up inside Cody's lungs. His stomach felt queasy. The sudden, agonizing pain in his chest was making it impossible to breathe. Willa forgotten, he dropped her hands and strode over to them. "Woody!" He didn't even know what he was doing, he had no conscious plan for this exchange. "What the hell?"

Woody shrugged sheepishly. "What?"

At that minute, a tall, thin, good-looking guy of about eighteen with curly dark hair walked up to the group. "Hey, bro!" he said to Woody.

"Hey!" Woody caught the newcomer up in a hug. "Guys, this is my brother Wesley."

Still in a collective state of shock, none of the others said a word.

Except Maya. Tucking her hair behind one ear, she stepped forward and caught Wesley's hand in both of her own. "Hi, Wesley." She flashed him a winning smile. "I'm Maya. And if you don't mind my saying so, you are_ gorgeous_."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thanks a hundred million times to everyone who reviewed! Sadly, this is the end of the road, so don't forget to tell me everything you thought about the story- the good, the bad, and the ugly. I can take it!

Oh, and enjoy Chapter 7!  
_

* * *

What on earth is going on here?_

Zack's jaw dropped as he watched his girlfriend blatantly hit on Woody's brother. He was beginning to see what she meant... it was kind of embarrassing. Not to mention the twinge of jealousy that stung him as he saw Wesley smile at Maya... Where did Woody get off having such attractive siblings, anyway?

Bailey stared at Woody, still stunned, as if she were simply unable to process what had just happened. Her gaze shifted to Cody. She opened her mouth and nothing came out.

Cody was so flustered, so outraged, that he couldn't speak either. "Uh-... You-... What-?" he stuttered helplessly at Woody. He looked to Bailey, his incredulous, imploring gaze searching her face.. "... Bails?"

Bailey's eyes met Woody's again and he gave her a guilty little smile... and she began to laugh. Woody's sheepish grin widened and he laughed too.

Wesley exchanged a confused glance with Maya and she shrugged, mouthing, _we have no idea._

"What... what's going on?" Cody demanded, embarrassed, confused, and hurt. "Are you two...? Do you...?" He couldn't even form the thoughts needed to finish the sentences, and Bailey's breath caught in her chest as she realized that Cody was really upset by the kiss. Not just angry because Woody had kissed his ex, not just hurt because she'd moved on, but jealous too... because he still loved her.

"Logical fallacy, my butt." Woody said to Bailey.

Rolling her eyes and grinning, she punched him in the arm before taking a few steps to stand in front of her ex-boyfriend. "Woody had this theory..." she said.

"And what _theory_ is that?" Cody asked, still clearly distressed.

"This." Bailey answered. She lifted her hands to his shoulders and tilted her head, capturing his lips. Reacting instinctively, he caught her upper arms in his hands and pulled her close, kissing her back just as deeply. She pulled back slightly. "I love you." she murmured against his lips.

Once again, he stared at her in shock. "What?"

"Yeah..." Zack said to no one in particular. "_What_ just happened?"

"I've been jealous of you and Willa since she got here but I didn't want to admit it. I couldn't stand seeing you with someone else, Cody." Bailey confessed, blushing. "But Woody knew I wasn't brave enough to tell you... so he made _you_ confess instead."

"B-but I didn't-" Now Cody was the one looking shell-shocked.

"The way you came running over here to stop me?" Woody pointed out. "You didn't have to say it in words, buddy."

Cody skewered his roommate with a glare. "When will you stop trying to manipulate me by making me jealous?" he asked angrily.

"Uh, when it stops working?" Woody said, holding his hands up innocently.

"Um, Codes? The girl you've been head-over-heels for for the past two years just told you she loves you. You should probably address that next." Zack spoke up helpfully.

Trying to ignore their audience, Cody looked Bailey in the eyes. "What do you want me to say?" he said quietly.

She bit her lip, both scared and excited by the intensity in his voice. "Say... say you can't stand seeing me with anyone else either." she whispered. "Tell me you love me too."

"That's easy. I _can't_ stand it." he murmured huskily. "And... I love you, Bailey. I always have."

She gave a little squeal and threw herself into his arms, and he pulled her against his chest, just holding her tight.

Wesley scratched his neck. "I take it I came at a bad time?"

Willa joined them in the circle, high-fiving Woody before grabbing Wesley in a half-hug. "Nah, I don't think so." she said.

Cody started guiltily at the sound of Willa's voice. "Willa!" he exclaimed. "Look, I'm really sorry, but-" he cut himself off as he noticed the look passing between her and Woody. "You set us up!"

"Well... not intentionally. Well, not intentionally until about ninety seconds ago. I saw the way Bailey was looking at you, and I thought if I kissed you just then, she might make a move." Willa said. She elbowed Woody gently. "I guess great minds think alike, huh? I really do like you, Cody, but..."

"It never would have worked?" he finished, and she nodded. "I like you too, Willa, and I hope we can still be friends." he told her. "But... my heart belongs to Bailey." Bailey smiled at him, resting her head on his shoulder, reminding him that the feeling was mutual.

Willa gave a soft laugh. "I knew that from the beginning." she said. "You're the one who didn't, remember?"

"It never would have worked between us either, Bailey." Woody spoke up teasingly.

"I dunno about that..." Maya said. "That was some kiss!"

Still holding on to Cody, Bailey laughed. "It kind of was..." she teased, and this time it was Woody who blushed. "You know, Woody, next time Cody and I break up..."

"No!" Woody, Zack, and Maya groaned together. "You're never allowed to put us through that again!" Zack added.

"Ooh. Didn't mean to inconvenience you..." Bailey deadpanned. She turned to Cody. "Apparently, future breakups are _verboten_."

"Noted." Cody said. He lowered his face to kiss Bailey again, and she responded enthusiastically, winding her arms around his neck.

"Aw, look at them, all speaking languages to each other again..." Woody sighed to Zack and Maya. "They're back."

"Um... You all packed, Will?" Wesley asked, turning to his little sister.

"Sure am." Willa said. "My things are just down in Woody's cabin."

"I'll come unlock it for you." Woody offered, breaking out of the circle they'd formed.

Willa waved goodbye to everyone one last time. "It was... uh... nice to meet you all." Wesley said awkwardly in parting. He winked at Maya. "Especially you."

She fluttered her eyelashes at him until he was out of sight and then turned triumphantly to Zack, folding her arms in front of her expectantly. "How do you like _them_ apples?"

He couldn't hide his grin; his girl was a firecracker all right. "I don't." he confessed, taking her hand and leading her away from his brother and Bailey. "I want to be the only guy you look at like that."

"But then isn't it only fair that I get to be the only girl?" Maya responded, resting her head on his shoulder as they stared out over the coastline.

He raised their clasped hands to his lips and kissed them. "You are." He took a deep, nervous breath. "I love you, Maya." It was the first time he had said it, and he meant every syllable.

A wide smile broke over her face. "Okay, I forgive you."

"_What?_"

Zack frowned, and she laughed, nudging him gently. "Okay, okay." She kissed him softly. "I love you too."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god."

* * *

"I can't tell you how much I missed this." Cody said, wrapping his arms around Bailey and nuzzling his face into her hair. "How much I missed _you_."

The ship had just left port and the sun was beginning to set, drenching the Sky Deck in the warm pinks and oranges of the sunset. The sea was calm, stretching out in front of them for miles and miles.

She let herself melt into his familiar embrace. "I think I can relate." she said, and they both chuckled softly. "Hey Cody... can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Anything." Cody murmured.

"Do you still have feelings for Willa?" She asked softly, looking away from him, out to the horizon.

"Bailey..." Cody gently used his hand to turn her face back towards him. "I meant everything I said earlier. Willa's a really nice girl, and we had fun hanging out. But even before today, we'd agreed not to try being anything more than friends. She saw that I was in denial about my feelings... I thought she was great. But she wasn't _you_." He ran a hand through his hair. "When I saw Woody kiss you... I lost it for a minute. Nothing mattered, not Willa, not Paris... All I knew was that _you_ were the one I was meant to be with, and that I had to _stop_ you before I lost you forever."

"Oh, Cody..." She was left nearly speechless by his ardent confession. "Seeing you with her was so hard for me... Woody kissed me because he saw how heartbroken I was when she kissed you."

Cody smiled. "That's all over now... You think the Finks had any of that planned out?"

She grinned back. "Knowing Woody, I'd guess it was entirely spontaneous impulse. I give him credit for guts, though: I _did_ briefly consider neutering him like a bull."

Cody scowled, recalling the scene from earlier. "Briefly, so did I!" She snuggled close once more, and he rested his chin on top of her head. "Hey Bails?"

"Hmm?" She lifted her head to look at him.

"I'm a better kisser than Woody, right?"

"Aww, Cody..." Bailey brought his face to hers for a lingering kiss. When she finally pulled away she shot him a cheeky grin. "I _love_ you... Isn't that enough?"


End file.
